Harvesting ocean thermal energy by conversion to electrical power utilizes temperature differences between thermocline boundaries within the oceans. However, this same energy conversion may be utilized in any environment presenting a thermal differential between two bodies of fluid. Generally, devices that generate electrical energy from such temperature differences are called thermoelectric generators, (also called thermogenerators), which convert heat directly into electrical energy based on a phenomenon called the “Seebeck effect,” (or “thermoelectric effect”). Older Seebeck-based devices used bimetallic junctions and were bulky, while more recent devices use bismuth telluride (Bi2Te3) semiconductor p-n junctions and can have thicknesses in the millimeter range. These are solid state devices having no moving parts.
There is a need for a simple mechanical device that exploits the thermal differentials between two bodies of fluid and is able to store the generated electrical energy and later transfer the electrical energy to other devices. It is with respect to these and other considerations that the disclosure herein is presented.